Water ratio reducing and workability increasing compositions for concrete and other hydraulic mixes



Patented Jan. 12, 1943 2,307,741

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATER RATIO REDUCING AND WORKABIL- ITY INCREASING COMPOSITIONS FOR CONCgETE AND OTHER HYDRAULIC MJXE Herbert Goldstein, Elizabeth, N. J., and Leo Liberthson, New York, N. Y., assignors to L. Sonneborn Sons, Inc., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application September 12, 1941, Serial No. 410,578

4 Claims. ('01. 106-90) This invention relates to new and useful impressure of about ten atmospheres with .8 part provements in water ratio reducing and workby weight of ethylene oxide. The heating is conability increasing compositions for concrete and tinued until the reaction is substantially comother hydraulic mixes. pleted, which is indicated by the pressure reduc- Surface tension depressing agents have been 5 tion in the reaction vessel to practically normal. known in the past as additions to concrete and The condensation product is substantially colorother hydraulic mixes for the purpose of increasless and water soluble. ing workability, decreasing water ratio, and im- The number of ethanoxy groups in the polyproving dispersibility of components of the mix. et ylene g y o m y be Substantially controlled in These practices, however, have not been satisfacmost cases by the molecular proportions of retory, primarily because the comparatively small actants used. Instead of the diethylene glycol amount of depressant in relation to the relarecited in the foregoing example by way of pretively large amounts and bulkiness of other maparing the preferred product useful in accordterials of these mixes make it difiicult to procure ance with the invention, other polyethylene glyan effective uniform distribution throughout the 0015 may be substituted. Various methods ofpi'omix, thus giving rise to local over-concentrations dii'ing polyethylene glycols or their derivatives in some areas of the mix with resultant impairare known to the art and may be used in the proment of compressive strength in the concrete or duction of these products for application in acother hydraulic mix or to local under-concencordance with our invention. The polyethylene trations in other areas, resulting in insuflicient 0 glycols or their deriv atives useful in the applicahydration and lack of homogeneity of structure. tion of our invention should be substantially We have discovered a composition for admixwate r soluble and should be substantially stable ture with concrete and other hydraulic mixes i iinst strong electrolytes, i. e., aqueous soluwhich will substantially avoid the foregoing distions of inorganic salts. The latter characteristic advantages and drawbacks of the hitherto used is particularly important for a concrete additive agents and practices. The composition in acof this type. Although we prefer to use the free ordance with our invention comprises an actipolyethylene glycols, their derivatives, such as 'at auxite having yieldably absorbed, i. e., in esters and ethers, being substantially water solxcess of non-extractable amounts, a polyethyluBle and steers against strong electrolytes, may ene glycol, polyethylene glycol ester or golyethylbe used and special circumstances or consideraene 1 ol tions may sometimes make such practice desir- The bauxite that may be used in accordanc able. with the invention is preferabl I ivat In the practical application of ur invention the f aux st i. e., a bauxite of a particl w activated bauxite is preferably intimately cons antia y not larger than 200 mesh, the baux- 35 Facted with the polyethylene glycol. If the latite activation being obtained in accordance with ter, within the preferred selection of these subconventional practices. stances, is liquid, the same may be mixed with The polyethylene glycols that may be useful in the bauxite as such or sprayed upon an actively accordance wit our inven ion are, for instance, agitated bauxite mass. Alternatively, it is posrepresented by the following generic formula- 40 sible to use a suitable solution of these agents for 1; 3 c c the bauxite impregnation and if desired or nec- OH C2H4 2H4 C2H4 OH essary remove the solvent by drying or otherwise.

in which a: is at least two in number. Preferred Within the preferred embodiment of the invenrepresent'ativesof polyethylene glycols in accordtion, using normally liquid polyethylene glycols, ance with the invention are, for instance, the such as tetraethylene glycol, it is of advantage to products obtained by a condensation reaction befirst intimately contact the same with a relatween a mlyethylene gm. tively small amount of activated bauxite so as to e p efe to use 18 y e e g yco or use ll'l this obtain a more or less saturated absorption and reaction. The following example given by Way thereafter actively agitate the thusly impregof illustration and not of limitation describes one nated bauxite with untreated bauxite, whereby method of obtaining a suitable polyethylene the impregnated bauxite will yield polyethylene glycol. glycol to the untreated bauxite, thereby giving Example 1.51.06 parts by weight of diethylene a uniformly impregnated product. Of the g1 col are heated to approximately 150 C. and amount absorbed by activated bauxite, a certain fi if'g'radually admixed in an autoclave under a percentage, which is substantially constant for a given bauxite, and usually in the neighborhood polyethylene 1 01 such as tetraethylene glycol, between 1 and 2% and varying, inter alia, with were gauged with 4200 cc. of water or approxiconditions of activation, is not yieldably absorbed, mately 20% less water than used in Example II. i. e., the same is not capable of being extracted The A. S. T. M. slump on the mix containing from the bauxite. Amounts in excess of the non- 5 the bauxite polyethylene glycol admixture was yieldably absorbed impregnant are yieldably con- 6%". Cylinders cast from this mix gave a 28-day tained in the bauxite and are extractable or will compressive strength of 4800 lbs. per square inch. be yielded by the bauxite to, for instance, aqueous It will be seen from the foregoing examples media. Care, therefore, must be taken that the that the presence of the polyethylene glycol comamount of polyethylene glycol absorbed or 10 position not only permitted a 20% reduction in brought to absorption by the bauxite is in exwater ratio, but increased the workability of the cess of the non-yieldable percentage amounts for mix as measured by the approximately 12% inthat bauxite. Within the preferred practice of crease in A. S. T. M. slump. At the same time my invention good results are obtained with a the compressive strength of the resulting conbauxite absorbed content of polyethylene glycol 15 crete was somewhat increased.

of approximately 2%. We have found that an The foregoing specific description is for puraverage conventionally activated bauxite will reposes of illustration and not of limitation and tain approximately 60% of the total amount of it is therefore our intention that the invention impregnant present, thus containing yieldably be limited only by the appended claims or their absorbed impregnant, i. e., extractable impreg- 0 equivalents wherein we have endeavored to claim nant of .8% as compared with the total abbroadly all inherent novelty.

sorbed 2%. We claim:

Within t preferred procedure of inven- 1. Water ratio reducing and workability intion involving the first or preliminary preparation creasing compositions for concrete and other of a bauxite contain the P y y glycol 5 draulic mixes comprising activated bauxite carimpregnant absorbed in approximate Saturation, rying absorbed in excess of non-extractable the b x product W contain approximately amounts at least one member of the group conof the imp e When We refer to S sisting of subswitially water so pd stron uration or approximate saturation with respect ml testabig mtfimmo'l fiit ooryfi ylto the absorption capacity of a bauxite in rela- Q glycol esters afifimgrycoq th r tion to the absorbent in accordance with our in-, 75; gro

vention, We mean thereby the amount capable 2. Water ratio reducing and workability in- Of absorption y the bauxite Without losing its creasing compositions for concrete and other hyability to flow freely as a dust, i. e., substantially draulic mixes comprising activated bauxite maintaining the discreteness of its individual par- 5 rying absorbed in excess of xt t m tieles- The thusly P pared absorption coneenamounts, at least one polyethylene glycol of the trate may then be actively agitated with ungeneral fgrmula treated bauxite dust, being added to the latter in a proportion to yield substantially 2% content of total bauxite absorbed impregnant. 40 in which a is at least two in number.

In the use of the composition in accordance 3. Water ratio reducing and workability inwith the invention as admixture to concrete or creasing compositions for concrete and other hyhydrauljg mixes, the same is preferably added draulic mixes in accordance with claim 2 in 0 any one or preferably mixture of the solid which said bauxite is a bauxite dust having a f components of the concrete or hydraulic mix. particle size not larger than substantially 200 It may be in some cases desirable but usually is mesh. dis r ti nary wi th p at o compensate 4. Method of reducing water ratio and improvfor the siliceous matter added in the bauxite by ing workability in a concrete and the like hyusing less aggre ate, i. e., sand or stones. draulic mix which comprises contacting an acti- The following examples demonstrate practical vated bauxite dust of a particle size not greater results obtained by incorporating the aforethan substantially 200 mesh in excess of nondescribed admixture in a typical Portland ceextractable amounts with at least one polyethylment conlc'ritre' t f 3 1 f rtl ene glycol of the general formula Ezramp e .-;-A mix ure 0 2 bs. 0 Po and cement and- 69 lbs. of sang were gaug'ed witH OHC2H( o CZH4) O C2H OH m. of water, giving a mix having an A. S. in which a: is at least two in number and incor- T. M. slump of 6." Cylinders cast from this mix porating the resulting bauxite containing abgave a 28-day compressive strength of 4400 to sorbed impregnant into a concrete mix in amount 4600 lbs. per square inch. sufficient to reduce water ratio at least 20%.

Example III.To a mix of 23 lbs. of cement and 69 lbs. of sand lb. of an admixture com- HERBERT GOLDSTEIN.

posed of 98% of activated bauxite and 2% of LEO LIBERTHSON. 

